Railway switch



L. C. MCADAMS.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION man 00T. 28, 1920.

,435,0l 6, Patented Nov. 7, 192.2.

z2, zz G BY Y A TTORNEXS RAILWAY SWITCH.

application 'filed October 28, 1920. Serial No. 420,285.

To all fio/om t may concern.'

- Be it known that I, iinwis C. Monnaies, a citizen or' the United States, and a resident or' Los Angeles, in the county oie Los O'le l-Wte 'C l'fri l i a nge s an( @La o oi a i o-n-a, iaie in vented new and y useiul` Improvements in Railway Siif'itches, ot which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to railway switches, for use on steam and electric railways, so as to regulate and eiiect the opening and closing cil the switch asa car ortrain approaches the switch intersection. rhe main object of my invention is to provide a device ofthe character stated, whereby the car er train when Aapproaching the switch may actuate the switch in either direction by means oit manually controlled mechanism adapted to be operated by the motorman or engineer oif the-train or car, so as to eliminate the necessity off stopping the car and for the operator to leave his car as is customary with other .devices at the lpresent time, ttor actuating the switch. f

lt is a further object of this invention to provide a switch actuating mechanism which may be readily installed between the rails of a street or steam railway and completely housed so as to'prevent water andother elements'trom coming in contact with and rendering the actuating mechanism inoperative. A still further object ot thismvention is ,toprovide a simple,'compact, and effective device for the purpose stated which may be installed by unskilled persons and operated without inconvenience to the operator and with dispatch, so as to facilitate the operation of the cars or train over kthe track at all times. Heretofore a. type of electric switch has been generally employed, especially with electric car systems, and such delvicesv unsatisfactory because of the complexity or' themechanism and 'a great deal ci trouble in: the operation and usev thereoi has been encountered; it is therefore "turther object or' my invention to provide a mechanism which is incapable'offbeing afe'cced in the mann rstated and which lacks complexity .and maires ttor lsimplicitywand vefi'icieney in operation.

Another object ,of my' invention-is to provide a switch Ymechanism of the character and for-the vpurpose stated whereby the c. rs or train moving over 'a track may actuate the switch in either direction, separate operating means being provided for operating the switch in each direction and a common operating member being connected with a movable switch point and with each of said operation units. Other objects will appear as the description progresses.

I accomplish the above objects by means oic the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a. plan view of a railway switch with my actuating means installed between the rails thereof and operatively connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation oi' one or the operating units.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the saine, on line 3 3.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of one corner of the housing for the same.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the same on line 5 5.

Fig. G is a perspective view of one of the operating members inolosed as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a plan view oi? the device shown in Fig. 2 with the top removed.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the same showing a removable and resilient form of actuating top applied to the casing and adapted` to be engaged by an operating member attached to a car or train.

Fig. `9 is a plan view, with thetop removed, of a housing inclosing an auxiliary operating mechanism common to the caroperated units and adapted to be connected with the movable switch point for operation.

Fig. l0 is al longitudinal sectional elevation ofthe same.

F ig. ll is an enlarged sectional elevation showing' the operative connections between the individual car-operated unit and thev common or intermediate operating Vmechanism shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. l0.

Having in mind the above objects l have illustrated one practical embodiment of my invention inthe drawings appended hereto which I will nowdescribe in detail.' p

Briefly stated my invention embodies a pair of spaced operating units A and'B ar ranged between the rails "r, 71, ot the track Vand another unit C positioned lat a point close to the switch pointS. Units A, B and `(i have housings H, lilr and l f', respectively,

and the housings H, H are connected with housing H by mea-ns of pipes or conduits l) and P, respectively, so as to prevent the entrance et dirt and water to the operating mechanism contained in said housings and hereinafter described..

Housings lil and H ol? units .i and B each have a primary operating member O pivotally held on trunnions z in grooves l, 1 formed in the sides thereof, and on operating arm O similarly pivoted by means of trunnions t, t in grooves 2, 2 at the rear ot' member (l. The arms (Y extend substantially forwardly of the iulcrrnns ot members O, are curved and have their lront ends resting in grooves 3 formed in the top side oi the members t). Tops T ot thin sheet metal ol resilient character are provided for covering the housings H and l-l and are mounted on spiders it adapted to be secured to the flanges' 5 `formed on the upper portion ot the said housings and held thereon by means of bolts 5. A plurality ot' `flat springs 6, 6 are attached to the spiders it and have their' tree ends engaging the lower vsurface of the tops T so as to canse the horizontal portions ot said tops to vbe normally upwardly extended. The 'curved central portions of members O are adapted to engage the lower surfaces of said tops, and the area of said tops is such 'that a maximum degree of resiliency will be afforded tor insuring the proper operation ot the arms 0` and mem bers (l. Rollers 7. or other suitable devices, carried on and depending from the cars adapted to pass over the tracks on which my system is installed, are provided tor engagement with the tops T. vas shown in Fig. 2, there being one ot' said devices tor eac of the units A and B. The operationot said devices so as to lower them into posi- `tion for engagement with the tops T will serve to depress the central portions ot the tops and correspondingly depress the members O', and thus swing the members O by means ot the connection between said members previously described. i

The lower portions 9 of members `O are biturcated so as to receive and :pivotally hold the rear ends 10 ot operating rods R and R which Iare housed in the `[pipes P and P", respectively, and the movement of the members O and O as described will correspondingly move the said rods longitudinally ot said pipes.

.Unit C has al wheel lV therein having trunnions 11, l1 on opposite sides theii'eot and rollers 12.12held on said trunnions and adapted to be held in slots 13 formed in v guide `plates G and'G" attached at their ends to the sides of ythe Ahousing 4H otsa'id unit. as shown in Fig. 9. `The forward ends .14, la ot' rods R and R `have links L and iL at-` tached thereto, respectively, and .said links lare also connected with ,eye .bolts 15, 15

held at diametrically opposite points on and near the periphery orn the operating Wheel l/V, as shown in Fig. 11.

Thus, the longitudinal movement of the rod R will rotate the wheel W slightly in a given direction and said wheel will also be caused to reciprocate in the housing H by means of the movement otl the rollers 12, 12 in the slots 13 on the guides G and G. The operation of rod R will actuate the Wheel lV in a reverse direction and to a corresponding extent andthe said wheel will remain in the position to which it may have been previously moved vuntil the other rod shall have been operated. Thus, also, the operation of eitherot the units A or B will restore the other unit to normal position.

The movable switch point S is operatively connected with the operating wheel W by means oi a rod 16 which has its inner end 17 suitably connected with the said wheel, as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, and the operations ot the units A and B will likewise actuate the switch point S by means of the connections described for opening or clos- 1 ingthe switch as the case may be.

ln operation, when a car approaches the switch trom the left as shown in the drawings, tor instance and it is desired that the car should take the switch, the motorman or engineer will depress the switch operating device on the car so as to engage the unit A and depress the resilient top T thereof. rllhis will effect the operation of the members O and O, connecting rod R, wheel "W, connection rod 1G and switch point S, the latter being closed into the position shown in Fig, 1 so that the car may pass over the rails 5r, fr of the switch. Should it be desired to passa car by the switch over the rails r, r of the straight track, the unit Bris operated in a similar manner for moving the switch member S in a reverse direction, thus opening the switch and clearing the track straight ahead.

In kthe operation of lthe tops T the buckling tendency of sheet metal is employed tor operating the switch members and the addition of the springs for engagement with said tracks, of a railway and a movable switch member interposed in one of said tracks. a pair of spaced housings between said tracks substantially spaced from said switch member, and a central housing opposite said switch member, separate pipes connecting said central housing with said other housings, a disc rotatably mounted on a Vertical aXis in said central housing and operably connected with said switch member, cranks mounted in said other housings onhorizontal axes and operably connected with said disc, and means in said spaced housings adapted to be operated by a car for operating said cranks when said car is moved thereover in opposite directions, lfor correspondingly moving said switch member, said means including arms pivoted in said housings and having their free ends resting loosely upon portions of said cranks.

2. A railway switch actuating device comprising in combination with the parallel tracks o a railway, and a movable switch member interposed in one of said tracks, a pair of spaced housings between said tracks substantially spaced from said `switch member, and a central housing opposite said switch member, separate pipes connecting said central housing with .said other housings, a disc rotatably mounted on a vertical anis in said central housing and operably connected with said switch member, cranks mounted in said other housings on horizontal axes and operably connected with said disc, and means in said spaced housings adapted to be operated by a car for operating said cranks when said oar is moved thereover in opposite directions, for correspondingly moving said switch member, said means including arms pivoted in said housings and having their free ends resting loosely upon portions of said cranks, and

a pair or' spaced housings between said tracks substantially spaced from said switch member, and a central housing opposite said switch member, separate pipes connecting `said central housing with said other housings, a disc rotatably mounted on a vertical axis in said central housing and operably connected with said switch member, cranks mounted in said other housings on horizontal axes and operably connected with said disc, and means in said spaced housings adapted to be operated by a car for operating said cranks when said car is moved thereover in opposite directions, for correspondingly moving said switch member, saidmeans including arms pivoted in said housings and having their free ends resting loosely upon portions of said cranks, and resilient sheet metal covers on said housings adapted to rest upon and for actuating said arms, the connections between said disc and said cranks including rods pivotally connecting said members and effecting a cranking movement thereof.

LEWIS C. MCADAMS.

Witnesses:

IRENE BREEN, D. O. FAWCETT. 

